Apparatus for cleaning cylinder heads



F. c. AREY ET AL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CYLINDER HEADS Filed Aug. 5. 1939' March 11, 1941. 2,234,909

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Maich 11, 1941. F. c. AREY IETAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CYLINDER HEADS Filed Aug. 5, 1939 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 11, 1941. F. c. AREY ETAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CYLINDER HEADS 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 5. 1959 March 11, 1941. F. c. AREY ETAL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CYLINDER HEADS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 5, 1939 Patented Mar. 11, 1941 Fred C Arey, Freeportyand De Los .E. Hibnerr Du Bois,

Pa, assignors to Vulcan Soot Blower Corporation, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August 5,1939, Serial No. 288,486

9 Claims. (Cl. 141-1) It is essential that cylinder heads for internal combustion engines be thoroughly cleaned before being assembled in their hnal positions for use, to make certain that all grit and other loose foreign matter be washed away and that none of the oil and chips, resulting from the machining operations, remain. These cylinder heads are commonly made in the form of castings,'suitably cored so that, although the interiors are open to atmosphere, pockets are present which willcause liquid or other foreign matter to be retained, to some extent, in any given position of a head. I

The object of the present invention is to produce an apparatus which will not only clean the easily accessible surfaces, but which will also effectively clean the more inaccessible interior surfaces.

It i possible to deliver jets of cleaning fluids which will successfully dislodge oil and chips, the only difficulty experienced in a complete cleaning operation being the complete cleaning of the open or partially opened cavities present in the original castings. We have foimd that if a casting is subjected to jets of cleaning liquids. properly directed, for a short period of time and is then turned over to permit any liquid that has collected therein to run out, a large portion of the foreign matter which it is desired to eliminate will be carried away with the liquid. As there may not be any single position of the casting that will permit a thorough cleaning by a single emptying of the fluid contents, it is usually necessary to repeat the operation of delivering jets and turning the casting over. In accordance with our invention, 'we make use of this principle of successive emptying of the cavities in a cylinder head, employing a suflicient number thereof to provide a sufficient factor of safety against leaving any grit, chips or other objectionable -foreign matter within or upon the head.

The various features of novelty whereby our 45, invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of our invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view of an apparatus embodying the present invention in a preferred form, parts being broken away to expose other parts;

" Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, on a larger scale,

illustrating a fragment of a cylinder head and the portions of the holder therefor immediately adjacent thereto; Fig. 3 is an elevational view illustrating the motor driven controller; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fi 1. 5 the casing or housing being in section, and the ieceiving table for the work being omitted; Fig. 5 is a section on an enlarged scale taken on line Ir-5 of Fig. 1, showing only the holder for the cylinder heads and a fragment of the ejector; 10 Fig. 6 is aview showing in section the main valve for controlling the cleaning fluid, together with the pilot valve for controlling the main valve; and Figs. "1, 8 and 9 are wiring diagrams illustrating, respectively, the positions of the 13 parts when the apparatus is idle, immediately after a controlling switch or push button has been operated and released and during the remainder of a cycle that again terminates with the apparatus in an idle state. 20

Referring to the drawings, l represents a housing or casing of suitable size, there being in front of the same a table 2; the housing being closed at the front, back and sides except for the presence of a shallow opening 3 in the front 25 wall at the top' of and extending across the width of the table; this opening being high enough to permit a cylinder head lying fiat on a table to be pushed into the openingand into the casing.

Within the casing is a holder for containing a plurality 0L cylinder heads'at one time. This holder is carried by a heavy horizontal shaft 4 extending from front to rear and having suitable hearings in the front and rear walls. This shaft may conveniently be in the form of a sturdy tube into the rear end of which cleaning fluid is introduced. as will hereinafter beexplained.

Surrounding and fixed-upon the shaft 4 are two long box-like members 5 and 8, respectively, nested one within the other; the outer member being slightly wider than the width of a cylinder head tobe treated, and bein also somewhat longer than such a head. The inner member I is shorter and has substantially narrower sides than the outer member. Each of these two members has its own rear wall, but they may be closed at the front by a single wall common to both. In this way there is left a substantial unobstructed space within the rear end of the outer member 8 around the supporting shaft, while there is a shallow space or chamber between the longitudinal walls of said members. That part of the shaft within the space between the rear end walls of the members 5 and 6 contains large openings 1 through which water or other cleaning fluid may be discharged and completely fill all of the space between the exterior of the inner member 5 and the surrounding member.

Each longitudinal wall of the outer box-like member 6 is provided with a pair of ribs 8 extending throughout the entire length thereof along its margins. Each of the longitudinal walls of the member 6 is provided with a group or groups of jetting orifices 9 so disposed that when a cylinder head, such as indicated at A, is properly set upon the ribs rising from that wall, there will be a jet opening opposite every hole or opening in the cyinder head into which cleaning fluid is to be discharged.

Surrounding the box-like structure just described'is a cage shown as comprising a rear frame-like member ID and a front frame-like member I I. Both of these frames may be in the form of squares having four additional narrow sides instead of corners. As best shown in Fig. 5, these frames may conveniently be supported from the member 6 by means of spoke-like arms 12 extending radially of the structure from the four corners of the member 6 to the narrow side sections of the frames. Cooperating with the frames are eight longitudinal angle irons l6 arranged in pairs, each. of which lies outwardly from a pair of ribs 8 on the member 8. The parts are so proportioned that a cylinder head is a sliding fit between each pair of ribs and the corresponding pair of angle irons; one flange of each angle iron lying outwardly from one of the broad faces of the head and the other overlapping one of the long side or edge faces, so that each pair of angle irons serves not only to hold a head against the ooopcrating'ribs, but also prevents the head from shifting laterally. The forward ends of the angle irons it are bent away from the longitudinal axis of the holder to provide a flaring mouth or entrance to the latter. In other words, when the holder is in the position shown in Fig. 1, a cylinder head on the table 2 can easily he slid upon the lower pair of angle irons i because the adjacent ends it of the lower angle irons are curved downwardly and constitute short inclines or skids to raise the advancing end of a head pushed against the same.

In order properly to register the cylinder heads in the lengthwise direction, the rear frame iii may conveniently be composed of a structural angle iron, one of whose flanges is vertical, as best shown in Fig. 2, while the other flange extends horizontally in the forward direction from the outer edge of the vertical flange. By providing the vertical flange with set screws lit, extending in the longitudinal direction, from the rear thereof, the forward ends of the set screws may serve as stops to limit the rearward movement of the heads when they are inserted in the holder; thus providing adjustable stops to secure accurate registration between the jetting orifice and the openings in the heads into which they are to discharge.

The heads are insertedin the holder, as heretofore explained, by sliding them, one at a time, into a receiving compartment when the latter is in its lowermost position, just behind the receiving table. Each head is also adapted to be removed from the holder when it is, brought back again to the starting position. In order to facilitate such removal, there is provided an ejecting device comprising a curved finger I! carried on the end of a rocker arm [8 fixed to a transverse shaft l9 suitably supported below the casing or housing I. The shaft l9 has a second short arm 20 which is connected by a rod 2| to one arm of a lever 22 mounted at the front of the structure below the receiving table; the other arm 24 of this lever extending outwardly beyond the front end of the table, where its free end may be grasped for the purpose of pulling up on the same. When the lever handle is pulled up, it causes the rocker arm l8 to be swung in the counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1, and the ejecting finger I! to be forced against the end of the cylinder head if there be one in the lower compartment of the holder. In this manner the cylinder head may be pushed partly out of the holder, until it extends well out over the table and can easily be grasped and pulled out the rest of the way.

It will be seen that whenever the holder is filled with cylinder heads and water or other cleaning fluid, under pressure, is delivered -to the tubular shaft 4, jets of this fluid will be discharged into the drilled holes and other openings of each head We have found that by turning the holder step by step, in order to bring a new compartment into receiving or discharging position at the end of each step, each head is permitted to rest long enough in a plurality of different positions to insure perfect draining. We have therefore provided means for supplying the cleaning fluid, rcvolving the holder step by step, and shutting oil the flow of cleaningfluid whenever the holder has turned through a complete step. In the arrangement shown, the cleaning fluid is delivered through a large supply pipe 25 behind the casing or housing; this pipe having at the lower end a pipe 26 in which the hollow end of the shaft 4 is rotatably supported. The supply pipe contains a master valve housed in a valve casing 2'7, this valve being controlled by a suitable pilot valve. This part of the apparatus is exactly like the correponding valve mechanism in our prior application, Serial No. 183,760, for Automatic motor block cleaner. This valve mechanism comprises a spring-closed master valve which is adapted to be opened by the pressure of the cleaning fluid when a pilot valve 2a is actuated to place the space beh nd the master valve in communication with atmosphere, in orderto permit the fluid pressure to overcome the force of the spring that normally holds the master valve closed. Cleaning fluid enters the righthand end of the valve I casing 27, as it appears in Fig. 6, and, when the pilot valve is in-the position illustrated in this figure, fluid may flow from the righthand side of the valve easing 2? through the pipe 9!, through the valve casing 29, and back through pipe 52 to a point above the piston valve 28, whereby the pressure of the cleaning fluid assists the spring 93 in holding the valve '28 closed. When the movable member 9% of the pilot valve is pushed inwardly, namely toward the right in Fig, 5, communication between the pipes 9i and 92 is interrupted, and the pipe 52 is adapted to vent to atmosphere through a small port 95. Consequently, only the spring now tends to hold the main valve closed, whereas the pressure of the cleaning fluid against the main valve in a direction to open the same is sufficient to overcome the spring and the main valve thereupon opens. As in the aforesaid ap-' when the rock shaft is rotated in one direction.

The rock shaft is actuated and the tubular shaft rotated by means of an electric motor 34. This motor is connected to a suitable speed-reducing device 35 by means of a clutch 36 normally held open by a spring 31 and adapted to be closed by an electromagnet 38. From the output, shaft of the. speed-reducing device there extends an andless sprocket chain 39 that runs over a sprocket wheel on a shaft 40 whose axis lies in the same vertical plane as the axis of the hollow shaft 4, but at a lower level. On the shaft 4, just in front of the head 26, is a large gear wheel H which meshes with a pinion 42' on the forward end of the shaft 40. On the other end of the shaft is a gear wheel 44 meshing with a gear wheel 45 on a shaft 46 which maybe termed the control shaft for stopping and starting the flow of cleaning fiuid and foncausing the motor to stop whenever the holder for the cylinder heads must come to rest.

Since the holder for the cylinder heads is shown as being four-sided or having four compartments, it should stop four times during each revolution.

Furthermore, since the discharge of cleaning fluid should cease whenever the holder is at rest, the pilot valve should be permitted to close four times during each revolution of the holder. If the holder had a different number of sides or compartments, it would be brought to'rest a corre- .sponding' number of times during each revolution and the pilot valve would be permitted to close a similar number of times. Therefore, in the arrangement shown, assuming the speed ratio betweenthe shaft 46 and the shaft 4 to be four to one, the speed ratio between the shaft 40 and the shaft 46 should be one to one. In other words, the control shaft completes a cycle for each quarter turn of theholder.

As best shown in Fig. 3, the control shaft 46 has thereon a disk 41 in the periphery of which is a notch 40. The'rock shaft 32 is provided with an arm 49 on the end of which is a roller 50 adapted to ride on the periphery of the disk and, when the notch 48 comes into registration there: with, to drop into this notch. Assuming that when the roller 5|! is in the notch 48, the pilot valve is in its inoperative position, so that the main valve is closed, it will be seen that the supply of cleaning fluid. is shut off at every quarter turn of the cylinder head holder. It is necessary that' the motor stop at the same time that the holder for the cylinder head stops and-the cleaning fluid is shut off. This may conveniently be accomplished by placing adjacent to the disk 41 a suitable switch 5| of the type that is normally closed but may be opened by pressing a handle or other member which, in the present instance, is shown as taking .the form of a roller 52.

Mounted on the shaft 46 beside the disk. 41 and I in the plane of the roller 52, is a radial arm 54 of such length and so disposed anguiarly over its shaft that the roller 52 is pressed down thereby at the instant that the roller 50 drops into the notch 48. Consequently, the closing of the main' valveand the cutting off of the power take place simultaneously. We have referred heretofore to the stopping of the motor but, as shown, it is preferable that the motor he kept running and thatthe cutting off of the power to drive the other movable mechanisms be effected by opening the clutch.

After the holder for-the cylinder heads has stopped and the supply of cleaning fluid shut off,

operations may again be caused to begin by actuating a suitable manual controller, conveniently a push button. The switches, aside from the push button and the switch 5|, forming part of the control system for the solenoid 38, are contained in two switch boxes 55 and 56. The entire control system is illustrated diagrammatically "in Figs. 7 to 9, inclusive. Referring to these figthis switch, though normally open, is closed upon energization of the solenoid 6|. Three other switches 63, 64 and 65 are also mounted on the member these switches, also, being normally open. There is a second switch device, more or less similar to the one just described, comprising a movable supporting rod. 66 carrying the movable members of three switches 61, 68 and 69,

the rod being attached to the core of asolenoid whosecoil is "indicated at III. These two electrically-operated switches are controlled by the switch 5| and by a manually-operable switch, illustrated as taking the form of a push button I I. It will be seen that whereas the switches 61 and 68 are normally open, the switch 69 is normally closed.

With the parts in the positions illustrated in Fig. '7, it will be seen that upon pressing the push button, current flows from the secondary oi-the transformer 58 through a wire 13, through the push button, through the switch 69, through a wire I4, through the solenoid 6 I, and thence backto the opposite end of the circuit'through a wire 15. Thus the solenoid BI is energized, and the switches 58, 63, 64 and are closed. The closing of the switch 5! causes the solenoid 38 to be energized and the clutch 3G to be thrown in, so that the holder for the cylinder heads'and the control shaft 46 begin toturn. This condition is illustrated in Fig. 8, except that the push button is shown open. The opening of the push button,

immediately after the solenoid 6| has been energized, is permitted by reason of the fact that as soon as the switches associated with the solenoid,

6| are closed, current flo'ws through the wire I3, the wire 18, wire 1], switch 85, wires 18, and 68,- switch 69, wire I4, solenoid 6i and through the wire it, thus completing the circuit through the secondary of the transformer. When the motor has turned far enough to permit the switch 5I to close, as shown in Fig. 9, the energizing circuit for the solenoid I0 is established as follows: through wires I3 and I6, wire 80, switch 5| wire 8|, switch 63, wire 62, solenoid and wire 83 to wire 15; the secondary of the transformer connecting the wires I 3 and I5. Since the energization of the solenoid I0 causes the switch 69 to open, a new circuit must be established for the solenoid 6I. This circuit can be traced as follows, from the secondary of the transformer through wires I3, I6, 60, switch 5i, wire 65, switch M, wire 86, switch 84, wire l4, solenoid 6| and wire I5, back to the other terminal of the transiorrner. Therefore, while the holder for the cylinder heads is being turned from one position to the next, the circuit for the solenoid 6| still flows through one of the switches actuated by the solenoid 10, although now it is a switch that is normally open and is closed only when the solenoid I0 is energized; and, since the switch 69 is now open, the energization of the solenoid II depends before upon the switch 5| remaining closed. As a result, after the holder for the cylinder heads has completed a quarter turn and the control shaft 46 has made a complete turn, bringing it into the position shown in Fig. 3, and the switch 5| is again opened, both solenoids GI and 10 are deenergized and the parts are restored to the positions illustrated in Fig. 7, so that the holder for the cylinder heads remains at rest until the push button is again pressed. It will be seen that while the solenoid 6| becomes de-energized just as soon as the switch 5| is opened, the solenoid 10 remains energized as long as the switch 65 is closed, so that it does not become de-energized until after all of the switches 59, 63, 64 and 65 have opened; this being for the reason that after the solenoid 10 has once been energized, current may flow from the secondary of the transformer through wires 13 and 16, through wire 11, switch 65, wires 18 and 88, switch 6 1, wire 89, solenoid l8, wires 83 and 75 to the other terminal of the secondary. In Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the circuit breaker 51 is shown open but it will be closed whenever it is desired to operate the cleaning apparatus.

It is believed that the operation of the cleaning apparatus has been described in connection with the foregoing detailed description. Briefly stated, however, assuming that the parts are at rest in the positions illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings, and that there is a cylinder head resting on the table 2, this head may be pushed into the casing or housing, through the opening 3 and upon the lower pair of angle iron rails, until it engages the adjustable stop H5 at the rear end of the holder. It should be noted that the opening 3 is partially closed, by a rubber flap 90, as best shown in Fig. 1, which flap yields the advancing cylinder head and drops back again after the head has entered the housing. The head being properly located in the holder, the operator presses the push button 1|, causing the drive mechanism to be clutched to the motor. Thereupon, the holder starts to rotate, and the valve controlling the admission of cleaning fluid is opened. This condition is maintained until the holder has completed a quarter turn, whereupon the clutch is thrown out and the valve closed. The operator may now insert another cylinder head in the compartment of the holder which is at the bottom, provided that this compartment contains no head. Should there be a cylinder head present in this compartment, however, the operator pulls up on the lever handle 24, causing this head to be partially pushed out of the holder and housing, so that it may be completely removed before a fresh cylinder head is inserted. If this process is continued, the holder turning step by step through successive angles of 90; the fourth step brings the head back to the starting point clean and ready to be taken out of the holder. It will be seen that during the movement of each head into each new position, it is being continuously subjected to the action of jets of cleaning fluid; the jetting being interrupted whenever the head comes to rest. Since each rest period is occupied by the acts of taking out a cleaned head and the insertion of one that is to be cleaned, after the holder has once been filled, there is ample time for all of the fluid that can escape from the head in any one of its several positions to drain before a new jetting onset or attack begins. It will further be seen that while the starting of the apparatus is controlled manually, the stopping is done automatically; thus avoiding any waste of time in stopping, and permitting the workman the speed at which he can make a change of cylinder heads in the holder.

Whil we have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of our invention, we do not desire to' be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover a11 forms and arrangements which come within the definitions of our invention constituting the appended claims; and, when we refer to a cylinder head, we intend to include other objects which may be treated in a machine or apparatus of the type disclosed.

We claim:

1. In combination, means to support a plurality of cylinder heads and turn them step by step about a horizontal axis and bringing them to rest at the end of each step, and means for automatically discharging jets of cleaning fluid against said heads while they are moving and interrupting the jetting during the times when the heads are at rest.

2. In combination, means to support several cylinder heads in distributed relation about a horizontal axis, turn them in unison about said axis through steps whose angular lengths correspond to the angular distances between the heads, and cause them to come to rest at the end of each step; and means automatically to subject each head to the action of jets of cleaning fluid while it is moving and to discontinue the jetting while the heads remain stationary.

3. In combination, a holder for cylinder heads rotatable about a horizontal axis and having a plurality of compartments for individual heads distributed about said axis, means on the holder to discharge jets of cleaning fluid toward the heads, means to turn the holder, means to supply cleaning fluid to the holder, and a control system to cause the holder to turn through a predetermined fraction of a revolution and come to rest and the jets to be active while the holder is turning and inactive while the holder is stationary.

4. In combination, a horizontal rotatable shaft, a long, box-like member surrounding and fixed to the shaft, said member having jetting orifices in each of its long faces, means to hold a cylinder head on and in spaced relation to each of said faces, means to turn said member through steps having angular lengths equal to the angular widths of said faces and cause it to come to rest at the end of each step, and means to deliver cleaning fluid, under pressure, into the interior of said member while said member is turning and to shut off the supply offluid while said member is at rest.

5. A holder for cylinder heads to be cleaned comprising a box-like member having a central tubular shaft, aflller within said member blocking oif all the space therein except at one end and adjacent to the side walls parallel to the shaft, said shaft having openings through the wall thereof into the free end space in said memher, and said side walls having therein jetting openings to cause jets of cleaning fluid to be discharged therethrough, whenever such fluid, under pressure, is delivered into the interior of the hollow shaft.

6. In a holder for cylinder heads to be cleaned, a horizontal tubular shaft, a series of hollow supports for cylinder heads distributed about and extending lengthwise of and in fixed relation to to regulate the periods of rest in accordance with ill -, Ell

' to receive cleaning iiuid from the latter, pairs of guides lying outwardly from and parallel to said supports, means securing said guides to said supports in a manner to leave an unobstructed space between the ends of the guides and the supports at one end of the holder for the entrance of cylinder heads, each pair of guides being adapted to overlie a cylinder head on the correspondint support and overlap the side edges of such heads to hold the latter in place in all angular positions or the shaft, and means on said supports to direct jets of cleaning fluid against cylinder heads in the holder. V

i. In a cleaning apparatus for cylinder heads, a casing, a receiving table in front of the c;

the casing having just above the table an opening I only sufficiently wide and high to permit a cylintier head to he slid from inc, a horizontal shalt within and extending from the front oi the casing directly above said opening to the rear of the casing, and a holder for cylinder heads on the shaft including a plurality ol pairs or flanged guide rails distributed about and parallel to the shaft at such radial distance therefrom that they may be brought successively into the plane of the table with their dances. til-- rected upwardly to engage opposite cures oil! a cylinder head lying thereon, and means on the holder to discharge jets oi cleaning fluid against crllnder heads postioned therein.

t. In a cylinder head cleaninl apparatus, a

holder for a plurality of cylinder heads rotatable shout a horizontal axis and having a serlw oi individual head-receiving compartments distribthe table into the 093- uted about said axis, jetting means on said holder to discharge cleaning fluid against heads positioned therein, a drive shaft, a control shalt,

driving connections from the drive shaft to cause the holder to turn through an angular distance equal to the angular distances between said compartments while the control shaft makes a complete revolution, means controlled by the control shaft to deliver fluid under pressure to the Jettlng means except when the control shaft is in a given angular position, a control system for caming the drive shaft to start and stop, said system including a manual controller to cause the drive shalt to start and a controller actuated V by said control shalt upon reaching said given position to cause the drive shaft to etch.

9. In a cleaning apparatus for a casino, 9. receiving table in front ol the cosine; the canine having just above the table on oing only sufficiently wide and high to i will it cylinder head to he slid from the table into the casing, a horizontal shaft within and extehtlilhll from. the front to the rear oi the'casing, and it holder for cylinder heads on the shaft includinu a plurality of pairs or flanged guide rails distrihuted about the shaft at such radial distance there from that they may be brought successively into the plane or the talole with their iiangestort upwardly to engage opposite edges oi a cylintlcr head that is pushed. rcarwardly into the or from the table, means on the holder ,to tlischarec lets oi cleaning fluid against cylinder heads posi tionetl therein, and means to move a cylinder head in the holder forwardly to the table.

- FRED E.

DE L08 E. HIBNER.

cylinder heads,

Ell

lift 

